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Letters to the Editor

Parks are great. They are good for the mind, body and soul. But that doesn’t mean that every proposal for a park is a good idea.

Currently, every level of government—federal, state and local—is facing a massive budget crunch as Covid-19 has decimated tax collections. Now is not the time to commit hundreds of thousands of dollars—potentially over $1 million—in tax money to create a new, unnecessary park.

Cindy Harmeyer’s photograph is remarkable for its pictoral quality and as a record of an unusual juxtaposition—a great horned owl near a crow. The birds are bitter enemies and crows in groups are known to harass owls mercilessly. Cindy surmises that the owl tolerated the presence of the crow to draw attention away from its nest, which crows would gladly vandalize. The owl not only tolerated its nemesis, but seemed to be posing for a perfect avian portrait. The photographer lives in Saukville.

The probability is that our economy will be smaller when we emerge from this terrible pandemic. It will bounce back, to be sure, but the damage to individuals, small companies and organizations and even
a few large companies will be profound, if not terminal.

During these unprecedented times many heroes have deservedly been recognized, and it’s been awe-inspiring to see our local communities creatively come together to lift up and support one another. As proud educators, we would like to take a moment to recognize another group of heroes—our students.

These young individuals have risen to the challenge of being separated from their peers, tackled a new learning style with perseverance and grace and have accomplished aspects of learning that for them have never been done before.

Well, we did read the editorial that asked, “What if they reopened the economy and no one came?” and our question is, did a Press reporter actually attend the Madison rally on April 24? We were there. We disagree with the editorial’s viewpoint. We would characterize the rally as patriotic, rather than political. People were peacefully waving American flags and displaying signs such as “Open Wisconsin” and “Working Lives Matter.”

It was a cold, gray day, and there were few people to be seen when Judith Sibbald took a walk on Port Washington’s south beach. But then she came upon a colorful sight—six people wearing brilliantly hued tie-dyed shirts sitting at the water’s edge. She learned it was the Clark family of Beaver Dam. They had chosen a drive to Port for a weekend outing on the shore of Lake Michigan. To help celebrate the birthday of the family’s youngest member, they dyed T-shirts the night before and wore them proudly in spite of the chilly air as they enjoyed the lake view from the gravelly beach.

We mourn those who died because of the coronavirus virus which has swept our country.

We also mourn because of the thousands of businesses in Wisconsin that might be forced to close permanently due to the violation of our constitutional rights by a governor who apparently thinks he is God.

We especially mourn the near death our U.S. Constitution is experiencing. On Dec. 15, 1791, our Founding Fathers adopted the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, also known as the Bill of Rights.

Kudos to entire Ozaukee Press staff for the remarkable job you’re doing. You have found inspiring, unusual and breaking stories of how local people are helping in the pandemic and carrying on. Your creativity and dedication are amazing. I tip my Covid-19 mask to you. Keep it up, but please stay safe.

Also, a belated thank you to Elizabeth O’Connell for her Port Gardener column. I learned so much and looked forward to it each week. Thank you, Elizabeth, and may your perennials continue to bloom, delighting all of us who pass by your home on Grand Avenue.